A Valparaiso motorcyclist was killed early this morning on I-80 in Lake
County, the Indiana State Police said.

According to police, at 3:37 a.m. John Arama, 64, was eastbound on I-80,
just east of Chase Street, when for unknown reasons he “came off” his 2002
Road Hawk three-wheeler and landed in the left middle lane.

A semi-tractor trailer then struck Arama, who was pronounced dead at the
scene of blunt force trauma, police said. The semi’s driver, Bryant
Winfield, 30, of Country Club Hills, Ill., advised police that he was unable
to avoid Arama in the roadway. Winfield was not injured and there was no
road loss.

The motorcycle itself, meanwhile, continued eastbound on I-80 for half a
mile before coming to rest, where it was sideswiped by Janet Gutierrez, 28,
of Tonopah, Ariz., as she was swerving right to avoid it. Gutierrez also
rear-ended a second semi in the left middle lane, causing her 2003 Ford
Taurus to become engulfed in fire, police said.

Gutierrez and her passenger, Lily Jimenez, 18, of Phoenix, Ariz., were able
to escape the burning car and were transported to Northlake Methodist
Hospital in Gary with non-life threatening wounds, police said.

The driver of the second semi, Marko Jovicic, 37, of Indian Head Park, Ill.,
was not injured, police added.

All eastbound traffic was diverted off Burr Street until approximately 7:39
a.m., when all lanes were re-opened.